In 2021 I read over 100 books so making a list of my top ten was truly hard. I initially started with 25 books but I found it a hard sell, also, who has time to go through a list with 25 books? I decided to be succinct and make my top ten favorite read of 2021. All these books were published in 2021 and many I have read over six months ago but they have managed to get under my skin and stay there.
These are the books that left me ruined, that made my heart skip a beat after reading two pages, that had me useless for days and unable to pick up another book because I know it would not make sense. If you are looking for a list of books that will shake your worldview, that will teach you something about yourself and people you interact with daily, I recommend all of these books. Prepared to remember why you fell in love with reading…
Pleasantview by Celeste Mohammed
If you have been following me at all this year you know this is one of my all time favorite books. Pleasantview is that book I cannot stop recommending, what makes it better, it is a #ReadCaribbean pick.
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What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam Chancy
Mryiam Chancy dedicated this book to the thousands of persons who lost their lives in the Haiti earthquake. This book demands to be read, and sat with for days.
Butter Honey Pig Bread
I have such an affinity for Ghana and food, so it is no wonder I gobbled this one up! This is what I call a strong debut with beautiful storytelling.
Things I Have Withheld by Kei Miller
A standout nonfiction for 2021. Kei Miller holds nothing back in his collection of essays.
Open Water by Caleb Nelson
I still cannot get the photographer and the dancer out of my head, Open Water is beautifully written and will leave you wanting more.
Everyone In This Room Will Someday be Dead by Emily Austin
Who doesn’t love dark humour? Or reading about someone who is failing so bad but refuses to stop trying.
Fortune by Amanda Smyth
Ever wondered what Trinidad and Tobago was like during the oil rush? Fortune takes us back to that time, we experience the rush for fortune at any cost.
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Meg Mason is an expert writer. She does not waste her words and each sentence is sharp and biting. I loved how believable and real the characters and their situations were. You wanted them all to win, regardless of how bad they have been. I really was moved by the mother-daughter and sister relationship in this book. How Mason was able to bring awareness to mental health was done in such a tender way.
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
This is a story of fight, of greed, environmental awareness, poverty, corruption, activism, agency, colonialism and the cost of not having a voice. Told from the perspectives of Thula, her family and the children who grew up with her, we are giving an in-depth look into the history of Kosawa and Pexton and how the fight turned out. I loved that the author told this very heavy story from the point of views those who are not only involved but deeply impacted.
Whereabouts by Jhumpi Lahiri
This book is beyond beautiful, the writing is precise, moving, and gives you this calming effect that you are exactly where you need to be.
There you have it, my top ten reads for 2021. There are the books I will never stop talking about!
I read 4 of your top 10. Will get to the other 6 in 2022. Thanks for your review.